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Water Resources of the Caribbean




WRIR 94-4198
U.S. Geological Survey
(Available only online)

 

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Atlas of Ground-Water Resources in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

 

By Thalia D. Veve and Bruce E. Taggart (editors)


In cooperation with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


ABSTRACT

This atlas presents an overview of the ground-water resources of the main island of Puerto Rico; two of its larger offshore islands, Isla de Culebra and Isla de Vieques; and the three principal islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The atlas presents the most important ground-water information available for these islands, and is written for water managers and the general public. It describes, through the use of maps, graphs, and hydrogeologic sections, the most important aspects of the geohydrology, ground-water flow system, and groundwater withdrawals for the principal aquifers in these islands. Most of the information presented in the atlas is from published reports, although unpublished data from ongoing studies by the U.S. Geological Survey were used to prepare parts of the atlas. This report provides a useful compilation of information concerning major aquifers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and provides a first step in gaining a general knowledge of these aquifers. More detailed information is available from the primary sources referenced in the report.

 

The atlas contains an introductory section and 15 sections describing the ground-water resources of 12 regions within the 7 ground-water areas of the main island of Puerto Rico, Isla de Culebra and Isla de Vieques (described in a single section of the atlas), and the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas and St. John are described in one section of the atlas and St. Croix in another), and a concluding section describing present and potential problems related to the development of ground-water resources. Information presented in each of 15 descriptive sections of the atlas include the (1) location and major geographic features of the area covered by that section, (2) population and estimated (4) hydrogeology of the area, (5) ground-water levels and movements, and (6) a description of soil permeabilities.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract

Acknowledgement

1.0

Introduction, Thalia D. Veve

1.1

Purpose and scope

1.1.A

Location and major geographic features

1.1.B

Population and estimated ground-water use

1.1.C

Geologic setting

1.1.D

Hydrogeology

1.1.E

Ground-water levels and movement

1.1.F

Soil permeability

1.2

Description of the area

1.3

General land-use patterns in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

1.3.A

North Coast Area

1.3.B

South Coast Area

1.3.C

West Coast Area

1.3.D

East Coast Province

1.3.E

East Central Area

1.3.F

Puerto Rico Offshore Islands: Isla de Culebra and Isla de Vieques

1.3.G

U.S. Virgin Islands

2.0

Ground-water resources areas in Puerto Rico

2.1

North Coast Area

2.1.1

Aguadilla-Hatillo Region, Patrick Tucci

2.1.2

Arecibo-Manatí Region, Angel Román-Más

2.1.3

Vega Baja-Toa Baja Region, Fernando Gómez-Gómez and Thalia D. Veve

2.1.4

Bayamón-Loíza Region, José M. Rodríguez and Thalia D. Veve

2.2

South Coast Area

2.2.1

Santa Isabel-Patillas Region, Orlando Ramos-Ginés

2.2.2

Juana Díaz-Ponce Region, Orlando Ramos-Ginés

2.2.3

Peñuelas-Guánica Region, Orlando Ramos-Ginés

2.3

West Coast Area

2.3.1

Añasco Region, Thalia D. Veve

2.3.2

Guanajibo Region, Thalia D. Veve

2.3.3

Lajas Region, Robert P. Graves

2.4

East Coast Area

2.4.1

Naguabo-Maunabo Region, Angel Román-Más

2.5

East Central Area

2.5.1

Aguas Buenas-Juncos Region, Juan C. Puig

2.6

Puerto Rico Offshore Islands

2.6.1

Isla de Culebra and Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico, Thalia D. Veve and Angel Román-Más

3.0

Ground water-resources areas in the U.S. Virgin Islands

3.1

U.S. Virgin Islands

3.1.1

St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Robert P. Graves

3.1.2

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Zelda Chapman Bailey

4.0

Present and potential ground-water problems in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

4.1.

North Coast Area

4.1.1

Aguadilla-Hatillo Region

4.1.2

Arecibo-Manatí Region

4.1.3

Vega Baja-Toa Baja Region

4.1.4

Bayamón-Loíza Region

4.2

South Coast Area

4.2.1

Santa Isabel-Patillas Region

4.2.2

Juana Díaz-Ponce Region

4.2.3

Peñuelas-Guánica Region

4.3

West Coast Area

4.3.1

Añasco Region

4.3.2

Guanajibo Region

4.3.3

Lajas Region

4.4

East Coast Area

4.4.1

Naguabo-Maunabo Region

4.5

East Central Area

4.5.1

Aguas Buenas-Juncos Region

4.6

Puerto Rico Offshore Islands

4.6.1

Isla de Culebra and Isla de Vieques

4.7

U.S. Virgin Islands

4.7.1

St. Thomas and St. Johns

4.7.2

St. Croix

5.0.

Selected References

The citation for this report, in USGS format, is as follows:

 

Veve, T.D., and Taggart, B.E., (editors), 1996, Atlas of ground-water resources in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 94-4198, 151 p.
 
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